Controversial Street Art by Banksy in Gaza, Palestine

Banksy finally revealed the location of the first piece which is Gaza in Palestine. Inspired by a sculpture of Niobe, a Greek mythological figure, the first piece is entitled “Bomb Damage” and obviously with Banksy, the placement is just on point. Niobe’s children were killed out of spite and then in her mourning she turned into a stone that was constantly weeping.

In a mock tourism video the mysterious artist released on his website, he gives us glimpses into the tunnels he used to sneak into Gaza and the locations of his artwork, along with some brief interviews with locals. The artwork, along with the commentary laced throughout the video and his website, underscores the suffering endured by the people in Gaza and expresses the artist’s exasperation with the apathy he sees in the rest of the world.

Gaza is often described as ‘the world’s largest open air prison’ because no-one is allowed to enter or leave. But that seems a bit unfair to prisons – they don’t have their electricity and drinking water cut off randomly almost everyday. – Banksy

A local man came up and said ‘Please – what does this mean?’ I explained I wanted to highlight the destruction in Gaza by posting photos on my website – but on the internet people only look at pictures of kittens. – Banksy